Aloha. Thank you so much for joining me today on the very first show that we're putting out.

There's nothing more precious that we have to give to one another than time.

And so I just want to let you know, I appreciate that you are taking some time out of your day

to spend with me here on the Tulsi Gabbard show. We got a lot to talk about today.

We got a lot to talk about in the coming weeks. I will be sharing my perspective on a whole host

of topics and issues. And I really look forward to sharing some interesting conversations with you

with people who I know very well, as well as those who I may be meeting for the first time,

but who have an interesting perspective on challenges we face, on opportunities that we have ahead

of us, I think you'll like what we have to share.

Today, I want to share something with you that has been on my mind and has been troubling me

for quite some time and has now compelled me to take action. I love our country, our God-given

rights of freedom, life and liberty that are enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights

are what inspires me. Now, I answered the call to duty. I took an oath,

dedicating my life to supporting and defending those freedoms both in uniform and in public office.

I had the good fortune of growing up here in Hawaii and growing up here gave me a very special

appreciation for the importance of our environment, protecting our water, protecting our natural

resources. And I used to go and do beach cleanups as a kid and do other things trying to protect

our home, but I always felt like I needed to do more. And so when I was 21 years old, I decided to

run for Hawaii State House so that I could actually be in a position to do that, to protect the environment.

I had never had any interest in running for office before that. I was not politically affiliated,

but as I was filling out the paperwork to go and file my election papers, I had to choose

which box I would check. I had to choose which party I would affiliate with. So before doing that,

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